Kenyan films to be screened at Cape Town festival

The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF) announced the official selection of feature films for the 2018 edition of the festival.

The program is a cinematic feast with some 120 world-class films on show to the public, festival delegates, and the jury.

The meticulously curated selection will include a significant amount of African content amongst the independent feature films, short films and documentaries on show. Particular focus areas are 'New Voices' (first-time feature directors), 'That’s So Gay' (new LGBTQ releases), and 'Cinema of Conscience'.

This year’s selection is full of powerful and entertaining films that celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of cultures and stories from all over the world.

Kenya is well represented at the festival by two films; the much celebrated film Rafiki from the multi-award winning director Kanuri Kahiu, along with the beautifully moving Supa Modo, directed by Likarion Wainaina.

The festival screenings are open to the public and will run from October 10 to 19 at various cinemas within the Victoria & Alfred (V & A) Waterfront shopping mall in Cape Town, South Africa.

Rafiki (friend) is a story of friendship and tender love that grows between two young women, Kena and Ziki, amidst family and political pressures. It was inspired by Ugandan Monica Arac de Nyeko's 2007 Caine Prize Winning short story Jambula Tree.

The film had its international premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Supa Modo tells the story of a young girl whose dream of becoming a superhero is threatened by terminal illness, inspiring her village to rally together to make her dream come true. This uplifting debut film by Likarion Wainana has won seven awards in various International Film Festivals.

WOMEN IN FILM

CTIFMF Festival Director Leon van der Merwe has this to say of this year’s selection:

"This year we will present more films, including short and feature documentaries, submitted by film makers from more than 78 countries around the world. From the more than 700 entries we received more than 80 Feature Films, 20 documentaries and 66 short films were selected. It was encouraging to see more filmmakers from Africa submitting their films to the film festival and supports our theme of create collaborate and celebrate."

"Woman in film and also woman film directors rose in their numbers since last year. We celebrate and congratulate the extraordinary group of talented filmmakers who have employed their skills and craft in the exploration of social, cultural, economic and political subjects. We are extremely excited for this year’s festival. We believe that the CTIFMF provides one more outlet to local and international filmmakers.”

Films that will screen include a range of World Premieres and the festival will play host to a number of respected filmmakers from across South Africa, the rest of the continent, and the globe.

Films from as far afield as Japan, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Russia, Germany, Romania, the UK, Indonesia and the Philippines will be joined from a selection from across Africa including Ghana, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Niger, and Tanzania.

Included in the selection is also a strong contingent of women filmmakers, including the World Premiere event for the film Cut Out Girls, a Cape Town made South African film from director Nicola Hanekom that is loosely based on her award winning stage play that deals with the uneasy subject of date rape.

Ticket sales open on October 1, 2018. Information and official announcements of the short films and documentary films, screening schedules and ticket information will all be made soon on www.filmfestival.capetown.